


Flight for Epistemus

by ladydragon76



Series: Festival of Five [4]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-15
Updated: 2016-04-15
Packaged: 2018-06-02 08:46:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6559849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladydragon76/pseuds/ladydragon76
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>Summary:</b> Starscream has entered the Flight for Epistemus, not just to claim his mates, but to claim all of Vos.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flight for Epistemus

**Author's Note:**

> **‘Verse:** IDW/G1  
>  **Series:** Festival of Five  
>  **Rating:** PG-13  
>  **Characters:** Starscream/Thundercracker/Skywarp  
>  **Warnings:** None  
>  **Notes:** So a Thing happened on Tumblr some time ago now, but I'm finally getting to this one. Yay! Here's Part 4.

Epistemus. He who was knowledge personified. He whose Festival was celebrated with a race that pitted the most agile, graceful, and _fastest_ flyers against one another. He who, somehow, ended up being equated with fliers as well as scholars.

Starscream really didn't know or care how knowledge became linked to flight, and he rather doubted anyone did anymore. It was a point of pride for Vos, though _any_ flight-capable mech could join the race. One didn't need to be from Vos or of Vosian descent.

This time, however- _This time_ , the Winglord was competing. Swiftwind was still impressive, but he was aging, and Starscream wasn't about to let opportunity pass him by. He was going to fly, defeat Swiftwind, take Vos, then take his mates before all optics of Cybertron.

"Careful, youngling," some dark red Seeker said to Starscream. "You're going to vibrate your wings right off your back."

Starscream sneered back but, for once, didn't rise to the bait. Winning was more important than giving the smug glitch the verbal lashing he deserved, and risking a fight that would get him kicked out was foolish. Especially mere minutes before the race was started. They were only waiting on the Prime to arrive and take his place for the Blessing.

The crowd's sudden cheer the very next instant announced Prime before the deep voice greeted them. Once Prime managed to hush everyone, he smiled, his new silver shadow just a half step behind him.

"Knowledge," Optimus Prime began, "is a mighty gift. Today we assemble to honor Epistemus and His gift, which is often more than we learn it to be. The pursuit of education and academia are but one facet of _Knowledge_ , and something _all_ Cybertronians have a right to. More than that, however, are the experiences not found in datafiles, those passed down from creator to creation, master to apprentice, knowledge gained by the individual, innovation, and the application of one's learned skills." He swept a hand toward the platform of flyers, all ready to launch and race for glory. "This race will test more than strength, more than agility, and more than your will to win. This race will test the very knowledge you hold about your own body, your limits and how to defy them." Prime paused and smiled. "Is it any wonder that flight, natural to some, adaptations by others, has become tied to Epistemus?"

There was a soft murmur through the spectators, but Starscream saw that his own wings weren't the only ones to flutter in anticipation and pride. Once he was Winglord and had properly 'faced his new mates into the berth, he would have to meet with this new Prime. Starscream thought he really might like him.

"I wish you all well," Optimus Prime said, then raised his left hand straight up. "Racers! To your marks."

Starscream glanced down to check his feet, then crouched, braced to launch, optics on the entrance to the race course.

"Start your engines!"

Turbines and jets spun up to a roar, and Starscream shifted his gaze to Prime's up-raised arm.

He hung there with every other racer, body and spark thrumming.

Then Prime's arm dropped.

Starscream heard nothing as he shot into the air. Sound ceased to exist as he and dozens of other flyers went from a stand-still to breaking the sound barrier in an instant, all still in root mode as demanded by the race rules. He was through the course entrance before sound returned, and then it was just the high whine of wind over his audials as he sliced through the air. Ahead of him dipped and swung twenty other Seekers, a handful of small class shuttles, and a mech that looked like he was a ground model with wings stuck on. Fast fraggers, the lot of them, but Starscream was gaining.

The beacons dipped, and Starscream dove, they arched back into the sky, and his thrusters screamed as he pushed hard. He passed two shuttles on the climb, then the odd maybe-groundling, then a handful of Seekers. The next slalom of turns slowed the other three small shuttles, and a Seeker knocked himself out of the air by not taking the turn tightly enough. Starscream cleared the turns and caught sight of his goal ahead. Swiftwind held the lead, but not by much, and Starscream was gaining on them. Pits, he thought, they were only still ahead of him by virtue of their starting places.

Then the course dropped before the wall of a building. The Winglord whipped into a dive, followed by half a dozen other racers. One Seeker screamed and crashed right through a window. Two others pulled up, then dove. The others all slowed enough to put Starscream in eighth place. He engaged his airbrake and dropped, tumbling forward to face down, then reengaged his thrusters. The maneuver put him past two more, then a third.

He banked left, swept right, corkscrewed, and then flung himself through a legal shortcut that required him to snap his wings in flat to his back. Starscream twirled and shot upward, finding himself on Swiftwind's right wing.

" _Finally_ " Swiftwind said on a narrow comm frequency. " _Now I can really race_."

Starscream laughed and shot forward with the Winglord. They took the next turn with Starscream's chest only a micron from touching Swiftwind's back, then straightened, only for the next turn to reverse the position. Starscream could feel heat all down his back, engulfing his wings. One miniscule shift, and they would crash. He had never flown so close to another in all his life.

Another dive came, and while Swiftwind moved into his twist and plunge, Starscream jackknifed his body then flung his legs toward the sky. Inertia tore at him, stress warnings blazed over his HUD, but Starscream dove well ahead of Swiftwind, in the lead. The ache in his wings, over all his frame, could be dealt with later. Right now, he had a race to win.

Swiftwind did not make it easy on Starscream, something the younger Seeker was grateful for. He wouldn't ever have it said that his win was given to him. No. He fragging well _earned_ it! And with the finish line in sight, Starscream was only more determined. He roared through the last obstacle, a series of large hoops that required a tight twist while rising, then falling. The last hoop was so close that Starscream snapped his wings in before dropping, then shooting off on the final straightaway to the finish line.

The ribbon of yellow-gold light broke, a loud tone signaling Starscream's victory. With a scream, the Seeker angled up, twirling in the air as he let momentum carry him until gravity took over. He controlled his fall with anti-gravs, and angled away from the finish lane as other fliers shot through. He grinned at Swiftwind as the Winglord followed him, and soon they were both on the ground.

Starscream's vents heaved, heat poured off his body, but he had never felt better. Oh, sure there was pain, but he'd _won_!

The last minutes of the race pasted quickly, and then the Prime was there, smiling. He reached out a hand to greet Swiftwind, then turned to Starscream.

This was it!

"Congratulations," Optimus Prime said, the lights dazzling off his finish. "I understand, by Vosian tradition, that you may claim something besides a mate today."

Starscream glanced to Swiftwind. He had been a good Winglord. He had protected Vos through Sentinel Prime's reign, and here he was, smiling and dipping his chin toward Starscream. Turning his gaze back to Prime, Starscream said, "I claim the title of Winglord of Vos, and-" he added, optics searching through the glare of lights before shifting back to Prime. "If you will indulge me? A Winglord needs a trine."

There was a gasp throughout the crowd, a flicker of shock in Swiftwind's optics. Oh, yes. Their new Winglord was a mech too young to have claimed a trine yet. Starscream snickered, and the Prime looked amused.

"By law of the Festival, I can compel no mech to give you a chance," Prime said. "However, if you wish to use this spotlight to propose, I'm far too much a romantic to deny you."

Beaming, Starscream gave Prime a graceful -if slight given his new rank- bow, then turned to face the crowd he could barely see through the glare of spotlights. They were out there though, he knew they were. "Skywarp and Thundercracker. You granted me permission to court you, and though this isn't stealing you away, will you accept me as your mate?"

A purple flash and _vop_ of displaced air signaled Skywarp's arrival, and sent the Prime's guards and mate into a tizzy, but Starscream was busy being glomped and kissed within an inch of his life and did not care. There was a roar of thrusters, and Starscream laughed as Thundercracker dragged him from Skywarp's arms and into his own.

"So yes?" Starscream asked once Thundercracker let him come up for air.

"Yes!" Skywarp squealed while Thundercracker nodded.

"Congratulations," Prime said as he managed to shake off his security team and step forward again. Megatron shadowed him, optics on Skywarp.

"Yes," Swiftwind said with a smile. "Congratulations. Now," he added and swept his arm toward the sky. "The three of you have a dance to perform, and I must begin preparations to turn Vos over to you."

Starscream wriggled his way free of his mates, and reached toward Swiftwind, taking his hand. "It was a good race. And I can think of no mech I would rather have as a senior advisor than such a successful and wise former Winglord. And there is no rush." His smile turned wicked. "I have a Sojourn and new wingmates to break in."

"Pff." Skywarp draped himself over Starscream's shoulders. "Winglord you might be, oh sexy wings, but we'll see who breaks in who. Hi, Swift! How's Flitwing healing?"

"Well, thank you. I'll pass along your well wishes, shall I?" Swiftwind gave Starscream a slight bow, then turned to do the same to Prime. "Good evening." Then he took off to join his own family and mates.

Megatron still eyed Skywarp, but with a nudge from Prime, the two stepped back. "The sky is yours, gentlemechs."

Starscream turned to his mates with a smirk, then launched to the cheers of the crowd, his spark singing- then throbbing as they began the dance that would end in a freefall merging of their sparks.


End file.
